Loaded Potato Soup

I know I was asking for Fall weather, but all of a sudden it got COLD around here! No problem…just means today is the perfect day for soup! I saw my cousin, Michelle, post some potato soup so I decided to make my own!

As I often do, I checked Pinterest to get a general idea of a recipe…then I made it my own. But first, I made a quick beverage to drink while I cooked (so you should too).

Juice the whole lime, add some rum and some simple syrup…yes, some. Google exact measurements if you want to be particular.Classic Daiquiri

Ok, now for the prep work.

Cut 4 or 5 slices of bacon into chunky pieces and cook until almost crispy…you want to render as much grease as possible.

While the bacon is cooking, peel four potatoes (I used russet) then dice them as small as you can stand. You want the potatoes to be small so they will cook faster and not need much mashing later.

After the potatoes are diced, set them aside and finely dice one onion. The bacon should be finished cooking, so remove the pieces from the grease and replace them with those diced onions.

Cook the onions down for about 3-5 minutes…add a little salt too…then add a tablespoon of minced garlic. Continue to cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Next, add two tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of flour to make a roux. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes, then add one cup of warmed milk and one cup of chicken broth.

Now it’s time to add in the diced potatoes. Just before the mixture gets to a boil, turn it down to simmer on medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender (10-15 minutes).

Stir the soup occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. After the potatoes are tender, add salt & pepper, about a cup of cheese, and…wait for it…some ranch dressing.

Finally, stir the bacon pieces back into the soup and you’re ready to serve!